Freelancefolder

Open Thread: Do You Already Have a Twitter Newspaper?

Posted October 31, 2010 in Marketing, Open Thread

It seems that Twitter newspapers are popping up everywhere these days.

Typically, a Twitter newspaper uses a service like Paper.li to compile tweets from a particular Twitter user’s account according to parameters defined by that user. The user can use popular Twitter features such as Twitter lists and hashtags to control what content appears in the newspaper.

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30 Spooky Freelancing Practices

Posted October 29, 2010 in Inspiration, Lifestyle

It’s nearing Halloween in the U.S. Halloween is that time of year when many folks are thinking about ghosts, goblins, and other really scary things.

However, some bad freelancing practices are scary all year round. A chill always goes up the back of my spine whenever I read about a freelancer engaging in any of these bad freelancing practices because I know that these practices can really harm a freelancing business.

Are you wondering what scary practices I’m referring to? Here’s a list 30 spooky freelancing practices for you to review. Are you scared yet?

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The Definitive Guide to Creating Your Own Freelancing A-Team

Posted October 28, 2010 in How-To, Productivity

Do you remember the hit television series, “The A-Team”? Not the ridiculously over-the-top Hollywood movie. I’m referring to the original, campy TV show starring Mr. T. It was a great show about a team of elite military convicts who banded together to create an unstoppable force for good. Plus, they blew stuff up in every episode.

In my last post titled 5 Reasons Every Freelancer Needs an Accountability Group I discussed the “why” of creating your A-Team. (Note: I really wish I had thought of the “A-Team” reference before the article ran. But, so goes life.)

The feedback was awesome and there seemed to be a lot of interest in the “how to” part of creating your team.

Well, without further ado, I present to you “The Definitive Guide to Creating Your A-Team.” Explosives manual not included.

Our group has been running for six months now and, during that time, we’ve learned a lot about what makes our group work. Please remember that, unless specified below, these are guidelines and best practices. I would encourage you to make appropriate changes and share them in the comments below so that others can learn from both your successes and mistakes.

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How One Ecommerce Company Got Started

Posted October 27, 2010 in Getting Started, Interviews

Many freelancers start their one person business with the idea that someday they’d like to expand and become something more. Some freelancers go on to start a full design agency, while others prefer to make their own products to sell to clients.

I’ve know the company SumEffect software for over a year now and they make an awesome product called CoreCommerce. SumEffect software is an excellent example of a company that makes their own products.

I’d heard stories that the two owners Nick McDuffie (bottom middle) and Matt DeLong (bottom right) used to work for a regular design agency before starting their business from scratch. They were able to bootstrap the business together until they become a full-fledged small business, and one of Nashville’s best businesses.

I know that a lot freelancers dream about becoming a bigger business so I asked one of the owners, Matt DeLong, to take some time for an interview for us. If you’re thinking of transitioning from freelancing to a small company, stay tuned and I’ll share what I learned from Matt. (We already know that many great businesses start with freelancers.)

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How to Manage People Effectively

Posted October 26, 2010 in How-To

So, maybe you thought that when you became a freelancer you wouldn’t have to deal with people any more. After all, freelancing from home and being self-employed means that you’re the only person you’ll ever have to deal with.

Right?

Wrong!

If anything, the ability to deal with people is even more important to a freelancer than it is to a traditional employee.
Your freelancing business is actually all about people. If you think about it, dealing with the people who are your clients and prospective clients is vital to your freelancing success.

Later, when your business grows, you may also have to deal with people who work for you. Some of these people may be subcontractors that you outsource work to. Or, if your freelancing business is large enough, they may actually be your employees. In some cases, you may need to manage a team for a client’s project or for one of your own projects.

Here at Freelance Folder, we’ve already written quite a lot about managing clients. While managing clients continues to be a very important factor for freelancers, this post addresses the topic of how to manage others on projects or because they work for you.

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How to Use Podcasts to Bolster Your Freelancing Business (Interview)

Posted October 25, 2010 in How-To, Interviews

If you use an iPod, iPhone or iTunes, no doubt you’ve heard about podcasts. You’ve probably subscribed to a few and enjoy being able to consume content at the time and place of your choice.

Did you know that podcasting can be an effective marketing tool for freelancers too?

I recently interviewed Jeff Young, creator of the Catholic Foodie podcast. Jeff is a copywriter and social media consultant who was a teacher when he started podcasting. Recently, he left that life and became a full-time freelancer. Today, Jeff is going to share his experience with podcasting.

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What Type of Freelancer Are You?

Posted October 24, 2010 in Inspiration, Lifestyle

There are many different reasons that individuals go into freelancing. I’m sure that every freelancer reading this blog has their own reason for starting a freelance business. If you’re reading this blog hoping to get some tips about freelancing, I’m sure that you have certain expectations that are causing you to look into freelancing.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that there tend to be a handful of common reasons that draw individuals into freelancing. The reason that drew you into freelancing is likely to determine what type of freelance business you own, how you run that business, and what type of freelancer you become.

In fact, I’ve narrowed the list down to four types of freelancers, based on motivation. Of course, any time we print like this it is generalization. Some readers will find that the list fits them to a “t,” others of you will see aspects of yourself in each description. Still, I think that we can learn from such generalizations–a bit of self-examination never hurts.

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So You Want to Go Freelance…

Posted October 22, 2010 in Getting Started, Inspiration

“I want to be my own boss.” How many times have I heard that? So many people fantasize about saying, “Take this job and shove it,” to their employers. They envision freedom through owning their business. But what’s the reality of going freelance? Being a freelancer means you’re not just doing what you love � in addition to graphic design, you must wear all the hats of a business owner

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Adding a FAQ Page to Your Website Can Get You More Clients & Save Time

Posted October 21, 2010 in How-To, Managing Clients

Does your business blog or portfolio page have a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page?

If your answer is “no,” you could be losing potential clients and wasting valuable time.

In this post, we’ll discuss an easy way to add a FAQ link to your business blog. We’ll also talk about the information you should include on your FAQ page.

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